Market Overview
The titanium market remains largely stable. The upstream sponge titanium market prices remain strong, and some manufacturers have announced price increases. However, due to insufficient downstream demand, the actual selling prices remain largely unchanged. There is no obvious rebound in the downstream material market. The weak demand has increased the competitive pressure on production enterprises, especially small and micro enterprises. In addition, the difference in raw materials used by enterprises has led to a batch of materials with incredible prices in the market, such as titanium ingots that are lower than sponge titanium prices, and titanium bars that are lower than titanium ingot prices. This makes it difficult for many downstream buyers to choose based on price alone, and it also has an impact on regular enterprises. However, how to standardize it still requires the joint efforts of enterprises, the market and customers.
The titanium material market has undergone different degrees of changes this week, specifically as follows:
- Sponge titanium: Prices remain strong, and some companies have adjusted their external quotations, but the selling prices to large customers remain unchanged.
- Titanium cast ingots: The smelting market competition is becoming increasingly fierce, the cast ingot prices remain stable, the pure titanium ingot quotation is 58,000-60,000 yuan/ton, and the TC4 titanium alloy ingot quotation is 60,000-63,000 yuan/ton.
- Titanium slab: The price remains stable, the pure titanium slab quotation is 62,000-63,000 yuan/ton, and the production cycle is over 30 days.
- Titanium hot-rolled plate (coil): The price of titanium hot-rolled coil is stable, and the quotation remains at 82,000-85,000 yuan/ton; the competition for pure titanium hot-rolled plate is fierce, and the price difference of different qualities is relatively large. The quotation is basically 72,000-78,000 yuan/ton.
- Titanium bars and wires: The orders for titanium bars and titanium wires have increased, and the orders for production enterprises are stable. The quotation for pure titanium bars of intermediate specifications is basically 120,000-140,000 yuan/ton, and the quotation for titanium alloy bars of intermediate specifications is basically 180,000-220,000 yuan/ton.
- Titanium tubes and pipes: The order for welded tubes is stable, and the demand for large-diameter thick-walled welded tubes is increasing; the price of seamless tubes is stable, and the quotation for intermediate-sized products is basically 120,000-130,000 yuan/ton.
- Titanium alloys: Orders have decreased and prices of some products have fallen.
It is expected that the market will be strong changes in the near future. Please pay close attention to the market changes and the reports of [Titanium Home], and respond flexibly to ensure you maintain a competitive advantage in the fiercely competitive industry.
The domestic titanium material market prices this week are as follows:
- Sponge titanium
- Grade 0, domestic: 51,000-53,000 yuan/ton
- Grade 1, domestic: 50,000-51,000 yuan/ton
- Grade 2, domestic: 48,000-49,000 yuan/ton
- Titanium and titanium alloy cast ingots
- TA1 cast ingot quotation: 58,000-60,000 yuan/ton
- TA2 cast ingot quotation: 57,000-58,000 yuan/ton
- TC4 cast ingot quotation: 60,000-63,000 yuan/ton
- Main titanium and titanium alloy materials
- Quotation of pure slabs in other domestic regions: 63,000-65,000 yuan/ton
- Prices of domestic titanium hot-rolled coil and cold-rolled coil:
- Black skin coil quotation: 82,000-85,000 yuan/ton
- Cold-rolled coil quotation: 89,000-94,000 yuan/ton
- Hot-rolled plate (1.5 meters wide) quotation: 83,000-86,000 yuan/ton
- TA10 (TiMoNi) titanium plate quotation: 135,000-145,000 yuan/ton
- Titanium tube billet quotation: 85-92 yuan/kg
- Finished titanium tube (φ20～30
mm) quotation: 125-130 yuan/kg
- Finished titanium welded tube (φ20～30mm) quotation: 120-130 yuan/kg
- Finished pure titanium bright bar (φ20～40mm) quotation: 120-130 yuan/kg
- Finished titanium alloy (TC4) bright bar (φ20～40mm) quotation: 180-210 yuan/kg
Conversion to USD (Rate of 25th March 25, 2024):
Please note that exchange rates can fluctuate. Here’s an approximation of the prices in USD:
- Sponge titanium:
- Grade 0, domestic: $7,650-$7,950 per ton
- Grade 1, domestic: $7,500-$7,650 per ton
- Grade 2, domestic: $7,200-$7,350 per ton
- Titanium and titanium alloy cast ingots:
- TA1 cast ingot quotation: $8,700-$9,000 per ton
- TA2 cast ingot quotation: $8,550-$8,700 per ton
- TC4 cast ingot quotation: $9,000-$9,450 per ton
- Main titanium and titanium alloy materials:
- Quotation of pure slabs in other domestic regions: $9,450-$9,750 per ton
- Prices of domestic titanium hot-rolled coil and cold-rolled coil:
- Black skin coil quotation: $12,300-$12,750 per ton
- Cold-rolled coil quotation: $13,350-$14,100 per ton
- Hot-rolled plate (1.5 meters wide) quotation: $12,450-$12,900 per ton
- TA10 (TiMoNi) titanium plate quotation: $20,250-$21,750 per ton
- Titanium tube billet quotation: $12.75-$13.80 per kg
- Finished titanium tube (φ20～30mm) quotation: $18.75-$19.50 per kg
- Finished titanium welded tube (φ20～30mm) quotation: $18.00-$19.50 per kg
- Finished pure titanium bright bar (φ20～40mm) quotation: $18.00-$19.50 per kg
- Finished titanium alloy (TC4) bright bar (φ20～40mm) quotation: $27.00-$31.50 per kg
- Sponge titanium:
The first week in April 2024
The domestic titanium market remains stable, with a slowdown in the purchasing momentum of raw material titanium sponge and demand staying steady. However, the introduction of new production capacity in the titanium market has intensified market competition, particularly in the upstream processes of material production such as smelting and forging, as well as in the relatively concentrated field of private enterprises producing bar and wire materials. For instance, in the forging of titanium and titanium alloys, there are already six or more hydraulic forging machines with a pressure of over 40MN either in operation or under construction in the Baoji region alone. This increase in production capacity has led to a decline in forging processing costs, with pure titanium processing fees dropping by approximately 30% compared to previous years. Despite this, amidst rising production costs elsewhere, companies are experiencing a significant decline in profits.
In the field of titanium metal smelting, due to low investment requirements and mature technological processes, investment enthusiasm has been steadily increasing in recent years. In the Baoji region alone, there are over 40 vacuum arc remelting (VAR) furnaces with a capacity of over 10 tons, along with more than six types of electron beam (EB) furnaces, resulting in a smelting capacity of 100,000 tons.
The production of bar and wire materials faces significant price differences among manufacturing enterprises due to variations in raw materials used, making it challenging for downstream customers to choose. The intense competition within the industry is gradually eroding companies’ profits and survival space, posing adverse effects on the healthy development of the sector.
This week, the titanium market has experienced varying degrees of changes, as detailed below:
- Titanium Sponge: Production enterprise output and prices remain stable, with a decrease in order volume. The transaction price for grade 1 products remains around $7,743 per ton.
- Titanium Cast Ingots: Market competition among smelting production enterprises is increasing, while ingot prices remain stable, and prices for residual ingots are rising.
- Titanium Slabs: Prices remain stable, with the price of pure titanium slabs basically staying between $9,841 to $10,102 per ton, with a production cycle of over 30 days.
- Titanium Hot Rolled Sheets (Coils): Prices for hot-rolled titanium coils remain stable, with quotes ranging from $12,866 to $13,336 per ton; competition for pure titanium hot-rolled sheets is fierce, with quotes remaining around $12,474 per ton.
- Titanium Bars and Wire: Quotes for intermediate-sized pure titanium bars are generally between $18,146 to $21,132 per ton, while quotes for intermediate-sized titanium alloy bars range from $27,219 to $33,377 per ton. There is a significant gap in titanium wire quotes, resulting in a relatively chaotic market.
- Titanium Pipes: Welded pipe prices have decreased, with stable orders. Some enterprises are using low-price strategies to attract customers, combining titanium coil prices with a small processing fee, thereby lowering the overall price of welded pipes; seamless pipe prices remain stable, with quotes for intermediate-sized products basically between $18,146 to $21,132 per ton.
- Titanium Alloys: Market prices remain stable, with a decrease in orders.
It is anticipated that the market will experience a new round of fluctuations shortly. Therefore, it is essential for all enterprises to closely monitor market changes and reports from “Titanium Home”, and to respond flexibly to ensure maintaining a competitive advantage in this fiercely competitive industry.
This week’s domestic titanium market prices are as follows:
- Titanium Sponge:
- Grade 0, Domestic: $7,933 to $8,207 per ton
- Grade 1, Domestic: $7,568 to $7,743 per ton
- Grade 2, Domestic: $7,284 to $7,464 per ton
- Titanium and Titanium Alloy Ingots:
- TA1 Ingot Price: $9,369 to $9,733 per ton
- TA2 Ingot Price: $9,087 to $9,251 per ton
- TC4 Ingot Price: $9,369 to $9,800 per ton
- Major Titanium and Titanium Alloy Materials:
- Domestic Pure Slab Price: $9,841 to $10,222 per ton
- Domestic Titanium Hot Rolled Coil Price: $12,866 to $13,336 per ton
- Domestic Cold Rolled Coil Price: $14,033 to $14,769 per ton
- Domestic Hot Rolled Plate (1.5m wide) Price: $13,087 to $13,578 per ton
- Domestic Hot Rolled Plate (1.2m wide) Price: $12,609 to $13,087 per ton
- Domestic Cold Rolled Plate (standard size) Price: $13,578 to $16,806 per ton
- TA10 (TiMoNi) Titanium Plate Price: $18,609 to $19,978 per ton
- Titanium Pipe Billet Price: $12.97 to $14.14 per kilogram
- Finished Titanium Pipe (φ20-30mm) Price: $19.08 to $19.84 per kilogram
- Finished Titanium Welded Pipe (φ20-30mm) Price: $18.32 to $19.84 per kilogram
- Finished Pure Titanium Rod (φ20-40mm) Price: $18.32 to $19.84 per kilogram
- Finished Titanium Alloy (TC4) Rod (φ20-40mm) Price: $25.68 to $31.64 per kilogram